Foreign Office issues new Tenerife travel warning ahead of Easter weekend

The British Foreign, Development and Commonwealth Office has updated its travel advice page for Spain ahead of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. The Office has advised that travellers headed to the Canary Islands this weekend check their operator's advice and follow the guidance of authorities.

Industrial action is planned in the hospitality sector on the popular island of Tenerife over Easter weekend. A large number tourism workers are set to take to the streets on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. The walkout follows unions rejecting a pay deal last Saturday (April 12), an agreement that was declared "absolutely insufficient" by Manuel Fitas, spokesperson for the Federación Sindical Canaria (FSC).

The walkout was set to take place across the archipelago, but has been suspended in the neighbouring islands of Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura after the employers’ association FETH reached a deal with national unions CCOO and UGT.

Unions argue that the situation in Tenerife is particularly sensitive, considering hospitality workers saw their wages frozen throughout 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic.

The strike is expected to affect hotel operations, with many said to be notifying guests in advance and asking for their understanding.

"The strike could have a significant impact on the tourism-dependent region during one of the busiest periods of the year," warned Canarian Weekly.

Meetings were scheduled on Monday (April 14) between unions and employers in the province in an attempt to come to a satisfactory proposal. The offer was expected to be presented to workers during a general assembly on Tuesday. However, with the FCDO's update to its travel advice, the outcome appears to have not been enough to call off the strike.

Easter is one of Tenerife's biggest travel periods outside the summer. Last year, Tenerife welcomed over seven million tourists alone, including over 6.2 million international tourists.

Easter 2024 likely contributed significantly to these overall numbers, considering the Canary Islands saw record tourism figures in the first quarter of the year, including a 21% increase in spending in March - when Easter occurred - according to Canarian Weekly.